The Doctor's Dilemma
by mat528
Summary: A slightly different take on Doctor Number Six's regeneration...


THE DOCTOR'S DILEMMA

**Pairing: Sixth Doctor/Peri Brown**

**Synopsis: Take one stressed out Time Lord (who's just regenerated), an Alternate Universe…shake lightly, and see what happens…**

**A/N: This is a slight reworking of the first part of the first Sixth Doctor episode, "The Twin Dilemma". Some of the dialogue is from that episode for this story; however, no infringement is intended. I just wanted to give my spin on it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the dialogue from the episode mentioned above, and I don't own the characters in this story. I'm just borrowing them, and some dialogue, for awhile.**

Peri thought the Doctor had truly lost his mind. He had just been through a very traumatic experience (to say nothing of her own traumatic experience after seeing him change bodies), and now he was saying some gibberish about her name.

…"you don't even know what a Pyri is, do you…Peri?" he asked in a biting tone.

Peri thought that the best way to approach this totally bizarre situation was to be truthful, so she answered, "no."

"A Peri is a beautiful fairy from Persian mythology," the Doctor said in his I-am-educating-a-dumb-human tone. "Funny thing is," he continued, "before it became good, it was evil…"

He advanced on her, a wild look in his eyes, as he said, "and that's what you are…thoroughly evil!" He lunged for her; she shouted at him to stop.

"No, as I look at you…you're a spy…sent here to spy on me?!" he cried, getting even more angry as he continued. "And we all know the fate of alien SPIES!" The Doctor lunged for Peri again, but she managed to bob and weave away from him. It was then that the Doctor's mood changed again, this time to one that unnerved Peri more than any of the others. He looked at her with lust in his eyes. Peri backed against the wall, reaching for any door handle behind her, her eyes firmly fixed on the new Doctor. The TARDIS, sensing that something had gone horribly wrong with her master's regeneration, obligingly opened a door for Peri. She broke eye contact with the Doctor long enough to stare behind her. Peri ran out of the console room. When she knew the Doctor's companion had passed through the opening, the TARDIS sealed the wall, in effect trapping the Doctor inside.

"Let me through!" the Doctor roared. The TARDIS let loose a warning rumble. _I will not, Theta! _She defiantly said in the Doctor's mind. The Doctor felt a warm sensation overtake him. He collapsed on the floor, totally relaxed. The TARDIS breathed a sigh of relief that the knockout gas had worked. She had done all she could do; now it was the Doctor's turn.

Forty minutes had passed as Peri waited in her room. She remembered her previous Doctor. He had been so kind, so mellow, so…gentlemanly. This one, though…he frightened her. She had honestly been afraid he would take advantage of her sexually if the TARDIS had not helped. She prayed that this regeneration would pass, and maybe, just maybe, if she were quiet enough, she could sneak out without the Doctor's knowing it. Peri grabbed her jacket off of the hangar on the back of the door. She emerged into the corridor, hoping the Doctor wouldn't spot her. She crept down the corridor, hoping that she wouldn't see the Time Lord. The young woman had just made it into the console room when she saw the object of her fear lying on the floor. Spying the door leading outside, Peri glanced back at the view screen. It seemed that they were on a planet which resembled Earth. Peri prayed that it was. If she could gain asylum….The brown-haired, American accented companion put on her jacket and started to pull on the lever to open the door. It opened without the Doctor stirring. _So far, so good, _Peri thought. She was just about to walk through the door when, without warning, the door shut.

"Where do you think you're going, Miss…" Peri heard the Doctor say. He was hesitant…faltering, as if he was trying to remember something, (which in fact he was). Peri saw that the Doctor had gotten off the floor; the lever controlling the door had been pushed down, in effect closing her only escape route. The 800-plus-year-old was saying, "Miss…." He concentrated a moment, saying, "I _know _you, don't I? You're Miss…" he waited for his scrambled brain to come up with the information. He stared at her, then his expression brightened as he asked, "I know…you're a stewardess, right? Miss Tegan Jovanka, right?"

Not trusting her voice not to tremble, Peri shook her head.

"Now…don't tell me," the Gallifreyan said placing his fingers to his temple, lost in concentration. After another brief moment, he smiled, saying, "Aaahhh, I have it! You're Sarah Jane Smith, right?" Without waiting for Peri to answer, the Time Lord said, "of _course_ you are! And I remember my persona, clear as day! I have curly hair…" the Doctor reached up, touching his curly hair to prove his point, "and a scarf, and a male companion named Larry…Gary…"

Peri stared at the Doctor, wondering what he'd do next. She contemplated her next move. If she could distract him long enough, maybe she could escape.

"Don't tell me, Sarah," the Doctor said. He smiled again, saying, "Harry! That is his name, correct?"

"Yeah…sure!" Peri exclaimed in what she thought was a normal voice. "Actually, Doctor, I was going to go get him….He's outside."

"He is…outside, you say?" the Doctor started asking, and then touched his forehead, remembering something else. "But if that's true," he said, "we should be at Loch Ness. I don't think we're anywhere near Loch Ness. Harry got off at Loch Ness, as I recall. And…I left Sarah Jane when I returned to Gallifrey! So, you _aren't_ Sarah Jane, are you?"

Peri shook her head no. The Doctor made no move toward her, but said, "I don't remember what happened…who are you?"

"I'm Perpeguilliam Brown…Peri," Peri said. "You tried to attack me."

"Really?" the Doctor cried arrogantly, adding, "that's impossible! I am conditioned to resist _any_ form of violence."

"Well, you weren't earlier," Peri protested, not looking away, still trying to feel for any door handle that would lead outside. "And if you'll let me outside…"

"Wait just a minute," the Doctor ordered. He then studied his companion. "Upon my word, you really _are _afraid of me, aren't you?" Try as she might, Peri couldn't hide the fear in her eyes.

"I'm warning, you…" Peri said in a low voice, "if you don't let me outside, I will…I'll…"

The Doctor raised a brow, saying, "Yeeesss?"

"I'll scream for the TARDIS to help me…she did before," Peri threatened. Peri's eyes widened as the Doctor crossed to stand in front of her. He peered at her, but then walked to the door, opening it.

"Maybe it would be best if you did leave," he said, defeated, and a little bit fearful of what he could have done to have a companion fear him. "If what you say is true, there is something wrong with my regeneration. Tell me, what did my previous self say before? Did I say anything significant? My memory's a little bit hazy…"

"You said something about your regeneration feeling different this time," Peri answered.

"I did…" the Doctor mused, and then he paused as he pieced together the events of the past couple of hours. "I did, didn't I?" He stared at the open door, saying, "If you wish to disembark, there's the door, although I feel obliged to say that this isn't Earth."

"It's not?" Peri asked.

"No, it's the planet of Jaconda, I believe," the Doctor answered calmly. "However, I'm sure I can get you back to Earth in no time."

"How can I believe you?" Peri asked, her eyes filling with tears. She bit hard on her lower lip, drawing blood. The Doctor reached into his grimy Cricketer's outfit, withdrawing a handkerchief. He handed the handkerchief to Peri. She took it, dabbing at her lips. Using the dry, unstained end, she also wiped her eyes, thinking of a curse word.

"You don't have to cry," the Doctor said, feeling ill at ease. Tears continued inching down Peri's face. The Doctor yelled: "Stop that!" Then, in a softer voice, he said, "I can't stand boo-hooing. Quite unbecoming." Peri stopped crying, handing the soiled 'kerchief back to the Doctor. He waved it away, saying, "Keep it." He suddenly glanced down at his soiled white sweater, saying, "I must wear something that complements my new persona. I would suggest you stay here, for your own safety, until we find out more about this world."

Although Peri wanted nothing more than to escape, she did as the Time Lord bade. To leave with a game plan and a thorough knowledge of where you were going was one thing…to leave totally afraid, with no idea where you were, and apt to get captured by the natives of a strange planet, or threatened, or worse, was totally foolhardy. She decided that it was better to be with the devil she knew (the Doctor), than the ones she didn't (the natives of Jaconda).

A moment later, the Doctor emerged, wearing a long jacket with the most garish color scheme she had ever seen, yellow trousers with black stripes, and a cat label on his lapel. "It doesn't meet with your approval?" He asked. Before Peri could comment, the Doctor guessed, "No, of course it doesn't. Well, it doesn't matter…my ship, my rules…my fashion statement, eh?"

"I suppose," Peri said. "Can we leave now? I mean, I want to return to Earth."

The Doctor was, for a moment, at a loss. He didn't look at his companion, as several emotions played out across his face: guilt, at having made her afraid, much less hurt her; depression, that she would leave him, and he would be all alone; curiosity, since they were on a brand new planet. In the end, it was curiosity that won out. The Doctor reasoned that that was the safest response to display in answer to Peri's request. "After we investigate," the Doctor said, adding, "come along, Peri." He arrogantly walked out, a frustrated Peri following. Later, after they came back, Peri wondered what the fuss had been about. Sure, this Doctor could be loud, obnoxious, cantankerous, but underneath, there were some smatterings of the Doctor she had known. She decided as they entered the TARDIS that she would take this one day at a time, and she hoped that this Doctor would be well worth the effort. Only time would tell.

THE END

4


End file.
